Phobophobia
by Roland Hood
Summary: So she finds out that her newest friend is half-demon. As if she didn't have enough mental issues... Oh, there went the very last shred of her sanity. Just when she needed it the most. RinxOC
1. Chapter 1 : Phobophobia

Sumiko: Hello, there! I'm Tsukuda Sumiko, and I'm known by many of my friends as someone that can never finish a story... for good reason. But never mind that. I hope you enjoy, and please leave suggestions as to how I can improve!

Phobophobia is a fear of phobias, or a fear of fears, by the way.

The reason I'm writing this story is partly because I (so far) haven't really seen any CanonxOC pairings in which the OC was human. She always seemed to be full or part demon, or, less commonly, an exorcist-in-training. So...yeah.

Please tell me if you think the characters are being at all OOC, and if so, why! (Though I do know they're probably OOC).

Another thing - this story is rather AU, as in, it takes place in an ALTERNATE UNIVERSE. So, while Rin is still half demon, and nothing about what's happened in the anime or anything like that has changed, I CAN'T TELL THE FUTURE. Therefore, I don't know what will happen in the upcoming episodes of Ao no Exorcist. This story takes place in their third year, so I'll be making up a BUNCH of things, but I WILL try to make it as logical as possible (or as logical as demons and blue flames can be), 'kay? I may later on rewrite this to make it more accurate, but for now... I'll just make do with the information I have. ...Sorry about that.

Of course, if, at any time, you think I'm taking it TOO far, please let me know. A review or even a private message will do nicely. Thank you.

Now, enough of my ramblings, please enjoy!

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><p>Phobophobia<p>

Chapter 1 - Anthropophobia

It was stupid. Just, plain stupid. What was stupid you ask?

...Well, that wasn't important at the moment. Just know that it was stupid, and Okura Midori didn't have time to explain just what exactly was driving her ABSOLUTELY INSANE on that lovely (cruel), sunny (stormy - with thunder and lightning and EARTHQUAKES AND ERUPTING VOLCANOES - never mind) day at True Cross Academy.

Because she was late. Again.

Damn it, she didn't have time to explain! Hashimoto-sensei might not be a strict teacher, but he sure as heck wasn't going to let her off easy if she missed more than half of his class!

Oh, please don't get the wrong idea, she wasn't usually this irritable - she was actually very timid and shy normally, it was just that -

Darn it all!

She hated alarm clocks. Hated it with a _burning passion._ Weren't they just so completely useless? Waking you up FIVE HOURS TOO EARLY one day, and NOT WORKING AT ALL the next. JUST. SO. USELESS. And stupid. Alarm clocks were just so stupid - they couldn't even wake people up on time! Seriously, COME _ON_! It was the only damn thing they needed to do. (Besides telling time, of course, but Midori was in a bit of a mood right now, and it was not recommended to remind her of this particular fact while she was in such a mood).

Rounding a corner and speeding down the hallway as though her life depended on it (to her, it did), Midori slowed to a stop as she realized something.

She was lost.

It wasn't _her_ fault the building's design was so confusing! The doors and the overall interior of the building itself was all very similar, and... and most students had to memorize their way to class or were guided by the buildings they could see outside the windows next to their class.

Looking out the window through panicked brown eyes, the third-year could see the general store on her left (which she shouldn't be seeing at all if she had been going the right way) and many other buildings she had seen before, but had never known what they were used for.

Yup, she was lost. Very, very lost.

A familiar panic rose in her chest, and even though she wanted to, Midori didn't cry. She couldn't, couldn't cry, because if she did-

Ah, right. She couldn't cry. Kimiko would be really, really upset with her if she found her crying again. She was a senior now, wasn't she? She couldn't just start tearing up over such small things.

With a determined nod that caused her thin, silver-rimmed glasses to tilt slightly, Midori began to run back the way she came. It was a little more than half an hour before first period finished, and maybe if she found her class quickly enough, her teacher might not mind as much...

Five minutes of aimless running around later, Midori was sure she was going to start hyperventilating soon.

By now, a normal person might have gone into a classroom to ask for directions, but not her. And there was a perfectly understandable explanation why.

She was afraid of people.

It wasn't to the extent that she couldn't even attend school, but... Her teachers didn't call on her because her stuttering made it almost impossible to understand what she was trying to say, and her peers stopped trying to talk to her because of her tendency to run away (not literally, but...) from anyone that tried to approach her, and she only had Kimiko as a friend (and cousin, but family could be counted as friends too, right?)...

See, it wasn't too bad.

Slowing again, Midori stopped beside the tall brown door of one of the classrooms and hesitantly reached out toward the gold handle. The voices from the inside confirmed that yes, there were students inside, and yes, she would be stared at if she just waltzed in and asked for directions.

_Impossible_.

_But_... She walked closer to the looming door, a pained look on her face. If she didn't want to be even _more_ late...

Just as her fingers brushed the handle, she heard loud, rushed footsteps, and an angry male voice that she knew she had heard somewhere before... It wasn't far away...

"Damn that Yukio!" she heard, followed by various curses.

Another student.

Okura Midori had a decision to make: Embarrass herself in front of an entire class, or kindly ask just one person for directions to her class.

...

...The second was the 'logical' choice, of course.

...But, he sounded like a delinquent... Would he hurt her for making him even more late to class...?

Maybe she should just look for her class on her own... It was the more tempting option, honestly, but Midori knew that with all of the classrooms the academy had in only one building, it could take hours before she found her class...

The student ran past her (from what she could see, he _really_ did look like a delinquent...) and without thinking, Midori called out to him.

"U-Um!" Yes, in the language of Okura Midori, this was calling out to a person. "E-Excuse me!" Despite the fact that her voice was hardly more than a whisper, the boy skidded to a stop just before he made a turn into another hallway and turned in her direction.

Dark blue hair that might be considered a black, depending on the lighting, and blue eyes that could only belong to one person - Okumura Rin. He was in her class, she knew, because one (especially someone like Midori) could never overlook such a scary-looking student in such a high-class school like True Cross Academy.

Wah... Of all the people she could have run into...!

She really should just run away...

He was twitching, and she mistook his rush to get to class as anger that she had stopped him for an unimportant thing like directions to class. Anger directed toward her.

The girl wasn't known for her perceptiveness, you know.

"Are you...lost?" he sounded slightly confused and a tad impatient. After all, Midori was one of, if not _the_, the shortest students in her class, with a round face and almost child-like features, thus looking like she belonged in the middle school division. Her somewhat terrified expression only emphasized that idea.

Then again, she _was_ wearing the uniform reserved only for the high school students _and_ she sat near him in class, but Rin wasn't known for his perceptiveness either.

"A...A bit," Midori replied weakly. She did her best to not shuffle away from him. Which took a _lot_ of self-control. "Our class... Um... Class 346... is it nearby...?" She shut her eyes, afraid he was going to punch her or something just as painful.

"...Yeah..." He stared at her. What was wrong with this girl? She looked almost... "Make a left turn after that hallway," he pointed to the one he was going to turn into before she stopped him, "and it'll be the third door on the right..." ...Or something like that. Wait. 346... "...That's my-" He suddenly swore, causing Midori to flinch.

He was even _more_ late now! His brother was _so_ going to get it later...

The petite girl could only let out a sigh of relief when he suddenly dashed off.

She got the directions, _and_ her classmate hadn't beat her up! How lucky was she?

* * *

><p>"And then he just ran off? Without laying a finger on you?" Kimiko asked during lunch that day. Midori simply nodded. "Hmm..."<p>

"I wish... you hadn't skipped class today..." she told her from the opposite side of the table, giving her a sad look. They were in the cafeteria, eating at their table in the corner, where no one dared to intrude upon their space in fear of the great Nozaki Kimiko's wrath. It was perfectly fine with Midori, of course. Kimiko only waved the girl off.

"Doesn't matter, does it? It's not like you could have told me during class, being the nerd you are... Who is this guy, anyway?" Kimiko raised an eyebrow. "Was it Aachi? Dazai? Iseki?" Kimiko began to name some of the delinquents of the school (some of them were friends of hers, what with Kimiko being a rebel herself) between mouthfuls of her lunch. Not exactly proper behavior for the heir to her parents' company.

"Oh... um... I don't know, actually..." Midori lied (badly), drinking her chocolate milk so that she didn't have to meet Kimiko's eyes. Kimiko, who had not heard her cousin, continued over her voice.

"Kanegawa? Okumu- Ah, never mind that one." Kimiko's eyes narrowed the tiniest bit in disgust of the name she almost said, and Midori laughed nervously.

"I really don't remember, Kimiko-san..."

There was absolutely no chance she would tell her cousin, who hated their fellow third-year. Kimiko had told her that, back in their sophomore year, the two had gotten into an enormous fight one day, and it was a miracle neither had needed to go to the infirmary. In Kimiko's words, it had been a disappointment that one of the freshmen girls had notified the teachers before she could knock him out. Since then, Okumura Rin was a taboo name around the red-haired (dyed, of course - her parents had been furious) girl.

"Well, that's fine. Anyways, I think you should befriend him. Most of the guys look scary, but they're huge softies after you get to know them. It's disgusting. You would all get along fine if you weren't so... you, Midori." Kimiko looked her in the eye, her dark brown eyes blazing with emotion that the other girl knew well.

She wanted her to make friends. With the one delinquent Kimiko could not stand. Except she didn't know. How ironic.

"You need to get over your... aversion... to people. I won't always be here, you know." Midori only looked at her friend painfully. She had been given this speech many, many times before.

"I know... I'm sorry, Kimiko-san..." The addressed girl scowled.

"And _another_ thing you need to do... stop it with that 'Kimiko-san, Kimiko-san' thing. It's irritating. Friends that have known each other their entire lives don't use -san." One more thing she was constantly being lectured about.

"I'm sorry, Kimiko-san..." And one more piece of advice Midori would never listen to. Kimiko gave her a faked exasperated look, before her eyes softened almost imperceptibly.

"But seriously, Midori... This guy you told me about... I know ALL of the delinquents - and wannabe delinquents, but, as I've always told you, they're the same thing at this school - and from what I've heard from you, you were just too scared to see that this guy was not going to hurt you. I mean, all the rebels know you're my cousin, and anyone that messes with my family will get a nice, long stick shoved up their-"

"Kimiko-san!" Midori's expression was horrified. Sometimes her cousin... _really_...

"Oh, you know I'm only joking..." Kimiko waved her off again. Then her eyes narrowed again. "Naturally, if you really were being bullied, he would have to be castrated and-"

_"Kimiko-san!" _A few heads turned at the normally-silent girl's sudden (almost) outburst, causing Midori to flush.

"Sorry, sorry..." the red-head grinned. "Back to the matter at hand... It sounds like you didn't even thank the guy - well, from the sound of it, he hadn't given you the time to, but... ANYWAYS!" Midori gave her a small smile. Kimiko was always getting sidetracked. "It doesn't even matter if it's this guy or one of those stupid, giggling, spoiled fan girls that can't tell left from right," here, Midori wisely chose not to mention that they were both rather spoiled, not that she ever would, "you _need_ to make new friends. Please."

_Please_, she said.

Midori almost choked on her soup in shock.

Nozaki Kimiko, self-proclaimed delinquent of all delinquents in True Cross Academy, had just said _please_.

Dear Kami-sama, it must be the beginning of the apocalypse.

Did she _really_ want her to have other friends that badly? Midori knew that it wasn't because the girl was sick of her - she was too blunt, and therefore would have long ago told Midori straightly that she didn't want to hang out with her anymore - but...

"This..." Kimiko began, pushing her curry from one side of her plate to the other, "this is the first time you started a conversation - even though it wasn't really a conversation - with another person - let alone a _guy_, _and_ a supposed _rebel_ - in a long time, isn't it..." It wasn't a question, obviously.

Now she was making her feel guilty. Her family member, and only friend, was worried about her. Okura Kimiko was worried about someone. Cared for someone else's well-being other than her own, despite constantly mocking other people for being 'softies'...

"...Lunch... is almost over..." Midori said, closing her eyes for a moment and standing up. Kimiko gave her a hard look.

"One week." Kimiko took both their trays to toss their half-eaten lunches. Her voice was completely casual, but Midori knew better. "One week to make a friend. It can be anyone - guy, girl, delinquent, or nerd like you, I don't care. But you have one week starting now to befriend someone, or you won't have any friends." She started walking away, and Midori, worried and surprised, caught up to her quickly. A few people were staring, but the anti-social girl couldn't be bothered by that right now.

"But, Kimiko-san, I kind of haven't ever _really _spoken to anyone much, besides you... What if-"

"If, somehow, everyone rejects you - and believe me, it won't happen, there'll be a lot of sticks that are gonna get shoved up-"

"Kimiko-san..." Another disapproving look.

Kimiko sighed. "That won't happen. You're pretty enough, you've got more than enough brains, and you're too damn nice for you're own good..." She started to mumble, "Always told you you needed to be more selfish, more mean, but did you listen? Clearly not," she rolled her eyes at the thought of Midori being _mean_, "You'll do fine. Sure people are gonna be surprised that you really aren't mute and that you really don't have an incurable case of anthropophobia - that's what you called it, right? - but the people in this school aren't cruel." Another sigh, as though talking this much was some sort of draining exercise. "One friend, Midori. I'm not asking you to get a boyfriend or become super popular by tomorrow... Though the former would be extremely amusing..." Another terrified look from Midori. "God, I'm _joking_." She looked down at the brunette. "Just one friend, okay?"

Midori bit her lip, but nodded anyway.

Just one week. Just one friend.

God, help her.

* * *

><p>Sumiko: Anthrophobia is the fear of people or society.<p>

So, I was advised to keep my chapters to 2000 words... EPIC FAIL. This was, I think, 3,000, not counting the author's note.

What would you guys prefer? Just wondering.

My friend said that you should keep it to about 2000 or else the readers will get bored, which I get, but I just... keep... typing... So I had to split my original first chapter into two.

So how was it?

Please let me know if there are any grammar or spelling mistakes. This hasn't exactly been beta'ed yet...

I know from personal experience - reviews means there's less of a chance that I'll give up on a story. So... please?

Also, just a question out of curiosity - Who're your favorite characters from Ao no Exorcist?

For me, personally, I don't really have one. Except, maybe, Shima (I don't really know why - maybe he just amuses me) and Rin, naturally.

I just HAD to rewrite this... I feel like I got my own OC out of character. You don't have to reread this if you've already read it though. I don't think there are too many changes...

~Sumiko


	2. Chapter 2 : Social Phobia

Sumiko: For anyone that might be wondering: Read the guidelines - _FanFiction does not require you to write a disclaimer_. Probably because the site understands that this _is FanFiction_ and therefore, we do not own any of this. No matter HOW MUCH we want to.

Just a reminder that this story is slightly AU, depending on what happens in the anime/manga... Nothing that'll show it's AU will be seen yet, but, just a reminder...

Enjoy!

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><p>Phobophobia<p>

Chapter 2 : Social Phobia

It was (almost) easy to tell Kimiko that yes, she would make one friend by next week, but _so_ hard to actually follow through with it.

She chose Okumura Rin because Kimiko, who didn't even like Rin, had told her that she had misjudged him (though she didn't really _know_ it was Rin she was talking about... just a technicality), and reminded Midori that she hadn't thanked him for the directions, delinquent or not.

And also, it was _because_ Kimiko didn't like him that she wanted to befriend him. Kimiko didn't dislike a lot of people (despite the fact that she insulted everyone), and Midori stupidly thought that maybe, _maybe_ if she became Rin's friend, Kimiko would set aside their differences and act more civilly towards him. Meaning she would stop trying to kill him every other day. Midori didn't think her cousin even remembered what they were fighting about. It was risky, obviously, and most definitely _not_ worth it, especially since Midori was afraid of rebels like him, but wasn't it for that reason too? Because she had misjudged him?

So that was why she chose Okumura Rin.

_Now_ the problem was this: how does one make friends, anyway?

She had only ever _really_ spoken to Kimiko before, and she couldn't just _ask_ him to be her friend (or could she? She really didn't know how these things worked)...

What could Okumura Rin gain by becoming her friend? He had his own friends, so it wasn't like he ever really seemed lonely, though they weren't in his class... Which meant...

Grades.

If they weren't in the same class, what they cover probably wouldn't be entirely the same, right?

She had overheard some of the other students complain last year about how Rin was bringing down their class average, meaning that they weren't allowed as many privileges as the other classes (field trips, for example), but no one would dare tell that to him in person in fear of getting their face rearranged. She had even eavesdropped (accidentally, of course - usually she was avoiding the boy, not stalking him) his brother (fraternal twins, considering they were in the same year and that their last names were both Okumura... Midori had at first assumed Rin was younger until she heard the other one - whose name she didn't recall - refer to him as 'Nii-san') telling him that he needed to bring up his grades sometime back in their first year, or else... something would happen. His brother's voice became hushed after that, so Midori hadn't heard the rest of it. Apparently though, it was important, because while Rin had whined and argued that high school wasn't important in the least, he still began to pay a bit more attention in class - just enough to pass all of his classes.

But only a bit, so he was still struggling a lot with the content, a fact that was obvious even to her, who had previously tried her best to _not_ to notice him.

With that in mind, the largest benefit she could bring to him was if she helped him raise his grades.

And _that_, is why she chose Okumura Rin.

Any questions?

* * *

><p>Teachers and students alike did not care much for the lazy Okumura Rin, who did nothing in class besides sleep. Throughout the years, they came to ignore him - teachers rarely tried to wake him up anymore, and students shied away from him. He preferred it this way. Despite his younger brother's constant nagging, high school wasn't important to him at all. And as long as he (God knows how) managed to pass, Yukio didn't lecture him about it. Until recently. (But really, what did it matter if he was failing all of his subjects?) And he hadn't been too bothered by it. Until yesterday.<p>

_"Nii-san," Yukio had addressed his brother as they were eating lunch. And oh, damn, he was using _that_ tone of voice. Rin paused for half a second, chopsticks poised just above his bowl._

_"Yeah?" he tried to keep his tone casual, but when his brother was serious about something, his brother was scary. Even to him._

_"I've heard that your grades in have been dropping again..."_

_And he suddenly wasn't so scared anymore. He continued eating. _This_ speech again. How many times had he been told that-_

_"Nii-san, your grades in high school are important..." Yeah, that. He started tuning him out, but a few minutes into it, his brother paused, and exhaled slowly._

_Then his twin said, almost reluctantly, something he found very interesting._

_"I have... a proposition for you."_

But honestly, though he did _try_, he was just too tired (not to mention bored and confused) to pay attention during class.

So after classes ended and he woke up from his final period nap (math was a useless subject - why couldn't x equal just ONE DAMN NUMBER, he would never know), and there was a student standing in front of him holding (what he assumed was) a copy of today's notes, he was understandably confused.

He recognized the girl (who he had realized was a classmate when she tried to sneak into homeroom minutes after he had barged in) as the one he had given directions to the day before... The short, flat-chested girl with glasses that looked too smart to get lost, especially since it was already the second week of school.

Since he was so confused - not to mention tired - he only managed to raise his hand and greet her with a "yo."

Okumura Rin didn't consider himself a complicated person, so all this thinking was giving him a headache.

Damn, he really couldn't function without twelve hours of sleep.

* * *

><p>She started off rather simply. Simply meaning she was internally cursing (except not really) Kimiko for putting her though this as she took two copies of notes - one for Rin and the other for herself and Kimiko to share... because Kimiko was ditching again today. Even if she had been here, she never took any of her own notes - for every class. It was slightly bothersome, but she didn't mind all that much.<p>

The part she _did_ mind started after the last bell had rung and it was time to actually give him the notes. Oh, she was going to _die_.

She got up, and headed for his desk anyway. She had to do it quickly, because she knew he would always rush out of the class after school finished and he had finally woken up.

He seemed tired - that was the first thing she observed about the boy.

He was wearing his uniform properly - something she had never understood as she figured he would be the type that didn't care whether or not his tie was done right or he was wearing the school uniform at all - and he had that red carrying bag as usual, though whether it was for a baseball bat or something else, she wasn't sure, but she didn't remember the school having a baseball team... Then again, she had never been involved in a sport.

Eventually, he realized her presence. It was at this time that Midori wanted to just drop the papers on his desk and run away before- but she didn't. Even though she really wanted to. So much.

"Yo," he raised a hand halfway, and the third-year was proud of herself, because she could honestly say that she did not flinch. An improvement.

"G-Good afternoon, Okumura-san." A slight stutter in the beginning. Back to square one. "I'm Okura Midori..." She attempted a smile, but it probably came out much more forced and nervous than she wanted it to. "Um, thank you for yesterday... Hashimoto-sensei wasn't too angry with me, so... thanks..." _Come on, that was pathetic,_ she could practically hear Kimiko shout. She placed the notes in front on his desk, and damn it, her hand was shaking just the _slightest_ bit. Kimiko would be so disappointed. "I noticed that you had fallen asleep in class, and, um... the lecture notes for today weren't all that hard, so I thought I'd take another copy of notes for you... If you don't want them, I can just throw it away-"

All of a sudden, he didn't seem so tired.

"Really? For me?" He was standing now, and clapping a hand on her shoulder (she was sure he hadn't meant for it to be so hard, but... ow), wearing a wide grin that revealed slightly sharper than average canines. "Thanks!" It was weird, how deliriously energetic he was now compared to before... "You said your name was Midori, right?" Blinking, the girl (who was, she estimated, over a head shorter than him) nodded slowly.

She said her name was _Okura_ Midori... Was he really planning on not addressing her by her last na-

"Haha, that's a good name. A really, really good name." People were staring, but he wasn't paying them any attention at all. He simply continued to speak to her casually, using her given name.

Resignedly, she answered her unfinished question.

...Apparently so.

* * *

><p><em>There was a part of True Cross Academy that very few students knew about. It was in this secretive place that two people held a conversation that no one that could have been listening in would have understood.<em>

_"Oi." _

_A male, dressed like a teacher and carrying a briefcase in one hand, turned. His shoulders relaxed visibly at the sight of the female that had addressed him, but seemed surprised at the sight of her. Her body was leaning casually against that wall, features hidden in the shadows, just beyond the light's reach. _

_"Oh, it's you."_

_"What a rude greeting for someone as nice as your reputation suggests," she released a short laugh._

_His responding tone was accusing. "What are you doing here? You know you're not-"_

_"Just dropping by to give you a little warning, is all..." She lifted a hand, and seemed to be carelessly examining her fingernails. One couldn't be too sure - she hadn't moved from the cover of the darkness._

_"And that is...?" He twitched in slight irritation. He didn't like the girl, not at all. He looked around the hallway, but it was late - they were the only ones within the vicinity._

_"That pet of yours - I'm going to kill it." Her tone was still casual, nothing in it that fit the words she was speaking. "If you don't want it to be a painful death, keep it on a leash, in its cage, whatever, understand?"_

_He opened his mouth to retort, but she was already gone._

* * *

><p>Sumiko: Social Phobia is the fear of being social, basically. You are afraid of going to parties, of meeting new people, etc.<p>

...DUDE. Do you guys know how AWESOME you are? I mean, maybe to some people (or most) four isn't a lot of reviews, BUT STILL. So far, this story has had 256 visitors and 278 hits! I know some people get over a thousand times that, but... Thank you guys so much for your support.

So, my question for this chapter is this: What do you think of Mephisto? Good? Evil? Somewhere in between? Awesome? Irritating?

Also, WHY AREN'T THERE MORE STORIES FOR AO NO EXORCIST? I know it's a new anime/manga and all, but still. It deserves more.

And have you seen the latest episode? I cannot believe ************************, can you? (Note: the ***** are so that people that haven't seen episode 22 and 23 yet won't see the spoilers, but you understand what I'm saying if you did).

I'd just like you all to know that this fanfic is a bit of an experiment. For one, to see if I can still write fanfiction, and two, to see if it's better or not to write 'fanfiction' or 'fanfiction that aims to be somewhat realistic.' The second meaning if I can write a story that could ever have even the smallest possibility of happening in the actual anime, and one in which the OC's personality and feelings are that of one similar to a real person's. What would you prefer? (As odd as it sounds, it isn't a rhetorical question).

I would like to note that most of this plot is already figured out, so while I could definitely change things, the general plot probably won't change much. Suggestions are always welcome.

So, I've decided to try my hand at concritting (constructive criticism) again. It's been a while, but I think I'm doing okay. Of course, I'm being a complete hypocrite about it, as I consider myself a better editor/reviewer than a writer. By far. I just received my first... almost-but-not-quite polite insult-filled response in a year. It's the reason why I quit for so long (not literally - just authors in denial that their OCs are a Mary-Sue... Am I being hypocritical again...?) but now I am BACK! And I'm already almost regretting it...

Um... Ah, yes, another thing - I am the type that loves reviews (you know - the vast majority kind) and so, I thought I'd tell you (if you haven't already noticed) I love to reply to reviews. It's some sort of hobby for me (I haven't missed a review since I started... I think), and I love it. I also look into the author's profiles of my reviewers/subscribers for stories. I also don't mind requests for people asking me to read a story of theirs... as long as they've reviewed/subscribed to one of my stories. Because if I don't have an indication that you've read one of my stories, why do you have the nerve to ask me to read yours? Just an opinion... but it's happened before. One of my pet peeves. I've noticed a pattern, too - those that send these requests don't have very well-written fanfics... It's only an observation... I would never be _that_ desperate, though.

But I WOULD be desperate enough to say... Reviewers get a preview of the next chapter. No, seriously. It doesn't even have to be that long.

Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated (I promise I'm not one of those people that'll reply with a 'Don't Like, Don't Read'), but please don't be rude... Note that I will never say 'no flamers' because when has that ever stopped flamers? Note that my definition of a flamer is one that in no way gives any constructive criticism. You can be someone rude, and mean, but if you're telling me what's wrong with my story, you aren't a flamer.

Finally, (I SWEAR THIS IS THE LAST NOTE) I'll try to update every two weeks, but I can't promise anything... So, my next update will be... October 9.

...Dear Kami-sama that thing was longer than the chapter itself... For that, I apologize...

So enough of my rambling, thank you for your support, and I'll hopefully see you next time!

~Sumiko


	3. Chapter 3 : Soteriophobia

Sumiko: Err... Enjoy? I'm so sorry I'm late.

To my anonymous reviewer:

Aurlie (): First of all, I'd like to thank you so much for reviewing! I really appreciate it. Real? Really? That's a huge compliment, even though I think that they have a long way to go before they seem even remotely realistic. Her exact age will be shown later on, but since they're in their third year, they would be around seventeen to eighteen years old, yes. Thank you so much. I find Midori the kind of girl that would start asking questions after she becomes familiar with someone, but yes, definitely. She may not be suspicious, exactly, but she'll probably be curious. I think it's fun, trying to see the world of Ao no Exorcist without knowing from the beginning about the demons and such. About your last comment, did you mean you could see her speaking to Mephisto's dog form? If I'm wrong, please feel free to correct me. Yes, I do think that Midori could get close to an animal - after she stops being so *afraid* of them. Again, thank you so much for taking the time to review for this little old story - I really appreciate it and hope to hear from you again.

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><p>Phobophobia<p>

Chapter 3 : Soteriophobia

_She was there again the next day - at the very same spot. Due to the fact that it was underground, the light always touched the same areas, and so, she was still cloaked in shadows._

_"Aren't you supposed to be on a mission?" he asked tiredly._

_"What? Not happy to see me again?" There was an edge to her tone, and he instinctively slipped a hand into his pocket, feeling for the handle of his gun. She noticed. "I guess not... Anyways, who are you to ask me what I'm doing here? It's late, isn't it? What would a by-the-book teacher like you be doing here? Last I checked, classes didn't extend to eleven 'o clock at night..."_

_"And you are a student," he replied. "You haven't answered my question, N-"_

_"I don't like my name to be ruined coming from a mouth like yours, _sensei_."_

_His response was cutting. "Last I checked, it was no longer your name."_

_There was a heavy pause._

_"I don't know _how_ you found out, and frankly, I don't want to know. You're just making me want to kill you even more now..." Her voice was a forced calm. "To answer your question, I already finished my mission. And I honestly don't care what you're doing here, in front of the Records Room._

_"What I _do_ care about, is that your mutt is still running around leash-free, even after the little warning I so generously bestowed upon you." He sighed, but didn't remove his hand from his pocket._

_"You haven't changed at all, I see." Her hands clenched into fists._

_"I'm not the person I was when you first met me."_

_He smiled, and it was that kind of smile that was filled with regret. _

_"Oh, I know that." Her body twisted away from him, as though she was trying not to look at him._

_"I'm leaving. Don't forget - if anything happens, I'll kill both of you."_

_"You aren't a murderer."_

_"Not yet," she stated coolly. "But I don't mind spilling a little blood when the situation deems it necessary."_

* * *

><p>To be honest, she had always been jealous of her - Kimiko, that is.<p>

_"'Morning, Midori," Kimiko yawned loudly._

_ "Good morning." She smiled._

Kimiko was both strong and intelligent, with grades at the top of the class in all subjects. Even though most students (and some teachers) feared her, everyone respected her. She called herself a rebel, but she didn't get into a fight without a reason and usually it was because she was trying to protect someone else - she only rarely fought because of an argument. The only exception was Rin.

_"Hey, what do you think you got on that Math test yesterday? I swear I failed," she said with an exaggerated groan._

_"Oh, I don't know." She hoped she passed - she had been studying all night for that test..._

And the only other characteristic she really had of a delinquent (besides her attitude) was that she was constantly skipping school, and when she did come to class (once in a blue moon) she never disrupted it.

_"So what's you get on the test? I managed a 95. Lu-cky!~"_

_"Oh, I got a 92..."_

_"Really? You're such a nerd, Midori."_

Not to mention, she was that kind of fierce beauty - with wavy, waist-length, _fiery_ red hair that matched her personality like nothing else, a mature face, an olive skin tone, deep brown eyes that were nothing like Midori's, and she was tall, almost one-hundred sixty centimeters tall. She had that sort of charismatic presence about her that just forced people to listen to her when she spoke. She would have been popular if she wasn't so tomboy-ish, and for those that dared to flirt with her, Kimiko only had to give them her signature _Warning: get out of my face before I EAT you_ glare and they would run off with their tails between their legs.

_"Kimiko-san..."_

_"Yeah?"_

_"I heard... you got into another fight yesterday..."_

_"Oh, that. Iseki was teasing first-years again. So I punched him."_

Finally, Kimiko wasn't afraid of anything. Not once in her entire life did Midori ever see fear in her cousin's eyes.

_"What? He didn't hurt you, did he?"_

_"Midori, did you not hear what i just said? _I_ punched _him_. He apologized to the freshmen afterwards."_

Midori was the exact opposite of that.

She was smart, yes, but Kimiko only called her as a 'nerd' because she studied a lot. Midori knew that even without sharing her notes with her, the girl could probably still ace her tests, and she hardly ever attended class! Kimiko's grades were sufficient compared to her's, and it was very, very, uncommon for her to beat her in a test. Unless the girl ditched that day. Anything physical-related was a lost cause for Midori, so it was safe to conclude she had never been in a fight. Even her arguments were pathetic.

_"And you? Did you apologize to Iseki-san?"_

_"For what? Punching him?" Kimiko scoffed. "Of course not, I do that all the time. Reminds them who their leader is."_

_"Kimiko-san, that isn't very nice..."_

_"When was I ever a nice person?"_

_She gave up after that._

Her personality was timid and shy. She was a push-over, and scared easily. She had, at one time, been scared of her own reflection. She tended to stumble on her words when she was nervous or didn't know the person she was speaking to well (so, anyone other than her cousin).

_"Yo, Nozaki, Nozaki's cousin."_

_"H-H-Hello."_

_"Get out of my face, Kanegawa. And my cousin has a name, you know."_

Midori paled in the looks category too. Thin, soft, straight, and light brown hair that stopped just above her waist, and was usually tied half up so it didn't get into her eyes. Her brown eyes, usually obscured by her glasses, were nothing out of the ordinary, nor was her ivory skin color that was a result from spending most of her time studying indoors. A small, rounded face connected to a thin neck and a petite body. And her chest was a damn surfboard compared to most girls, Kimiko included. Her voice wasn't child-like, per se, but it was slightly softer than other girls in her year. And she was a measly one-hundred forty-eight centimeters tall. That, plus the fact that she wasn't known to speak very loudly (particularly when the person she's speaking to isn't Kimiko) combined, she...

_"My, how adorable you are!" one of the elderly ladies told her at the supermarket a long, long time ago (two years, to be precise)._

_ "A-Ah, thank you."_

_"How old are you, eleven? Twelve?" _

_"F-Fourteen, actually..."_

She looked, and acted, like a first-year in middle school. The average 'pretty' Japanese school girl.

_"Hey kid, are you lost? This is the high school division, you know," a student she didn't recognize confronted her last year._

_"Um... I _am_ in the high school division... I'm a second-year..." _

_"...Are you sure?"_

Her only 'redeeming' quality was that she wasn't dependent.

...No, seriously.

Kimiko ditched school a lot, and although she usually ate with her during lunch, she was always with her delinquent friends after school until curfew. Kimiko invited her to hang out with them once in a while, but Midori never once accepted her offer - too many people. So they didn't see each other much. It was lonely, sure, but it was fine to her.

_"Midori..." They were walking back to the dorms after classes for the day ended._

_"Hmm?"_

_"I probably won't be coming to class as much this year... Thought I'd warn you."_

_"Huh? Why? Is something wrong?"_

_"No, no, I just... need to figure out what I'm gonna do after this year. And whatever I do, a high school education isn't gonna be a top priority. So I won't be seeing you a lot."_

_ "Oh, okay."_

And, Kimiko often bossed people around, but Midori had never felt the need to follow her every whim just to keep their relationship safe - they didn't work like that. They were friends. Even though Kimiko was her only friend, Midori could never consider them 'best' friends, and so avoided using the term.

In the beginning, it was a lot worse - back in primary school, Kimiko ditched school back then too, the wild thing she was, and Midori was always so, so lonely, because she was even more scared of everything back then than she was now. But she got used to it, and until recently, she had been perfectly fine.

Because recently, Kimiko started hanging out with her fellow delinquents more, and she was starting to skip out on their meetings at lunch too. In class, Midori saw her once, maybe twice on a good week.

They didn't share the same dormitory room (Kimiko roomed with some other third-year while Midori was lucky enough to have a room all to herself), but Kimiko liked to climb into her room through the window ("It's more exciting than using the stairs," she had told her) sometimes when she was bored. She would text her to open her window during these occasions and climb down a thick rope (she didn't know where the other teen had gotten it from) at a dangerous speed. It was a good thing Kimiko excelled at rock climbing, the building's walls were somewhat uneven, Midori's room was on the second floor and right below Kimiko's dorm, and her roommate was a seriously heavy sleeper - Kimiko had never fallen, and they hadn't been caught once. Of course, Midori didn't approve at all, and was seriously freaked out the first time she had done it. The last time Kimiko texted her had been during the last term of their second year.

But when they did see each other, Kimiko was still the same person she always was, so she was determined not to say anything, for the time being.

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><p>"Hey - wait up, Midori!" Kimiko called just as the small girl had left the girl's dormitory.<p>

Her cousin hadn't shown up for lunch yesterday, so the last time they had seen each other was the lunch before the day before yesterday, when she had given her a week to make a new friend.

"Oh, Kimiko-san..." She had actually been wondering if Kimiko would treat her any differently after that day - apparently not. "Are you coming to class today?" She paused in her steps long enough to allow the girl to catch up to her.

"Mm. Don't I always walk with you on days I come to class, or was that just my imagination?" Midori opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off. "Anyways, what did I miss? I ditched, for like, a week, right? Where're your notes?" She opened Midori's bag and extracted the folder that held her notes. "According to some stupid law, I can't miss class - much - anymore, or I'll get kicked out. Hehe. Harsh, right? Now come on, before we're late," and she proceeded to grab her by the arm without taking her eyes off the notes.

"But..." Midori murmured, brows furrowed.

"But what?" Kimiko raised an eyebrow, looking back at her as she continued to drag her across the bridge that connected the girl's dormitory to the rest of the school.

"...Nothing."

_But how am I supposed to give Okumura-san the notes with you in class with me? And how am I supposed to take a second set of notes in the first place with you sitting next to me?_

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><p>It turned out there was nothing to worry about after all - Okumura Rin didn't show up to class. The bell for lunch rang when Kimiko reluctantly told her the reason for his absence.<p>

"I heard the cretin had a family emergency, or something trivial like that." Only Kimiko could call a family emergency 'trivial'.

"Oh..." Biting the inside of her cheek, Midori slowly took out an extra sheet of paper for the second copy of notes.

"What are you doing? You know I always borrow your notes," Kimiko reminded the small girl when she noticed her transferring the notes to the other paper. "And besides, it's lunch. We have to get to the cafeteria before our table is taken - not that anyone would dare to..."

"Ah... I'm actually not that hungry, and these notes are... for..."

..._It was _because_ Kimiko didn't like him that she wanted to befriend him..._

_...Maybe if she became Rin's friend, Kimiko would set aside their differences and act more civilly towards him..._

"...someone else," she finished. _Smooth_... "You told me to make a new friend, right?"

"Ah, about that..." Kimiko grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck, "you can just forget about it." Not quite sure she heard correctly, the brunette looked up at the girl, wide-eyed.

...She was taking it back?

After being so serious about it? To the extent of threatening to stop being her friend?

Midori had a right to be upset.

"Forget about it?" her voice was confused.

...But she didn't use it.

"I was just stressed out because one of the guys got into a meaningless fight, so don't worry about it," she said casually, not meeting her eyes. Midori continued to stare at her.

"Kimiko-san..."

"Now, _I_ am going to lunch - you coming?" Midori shook her head. "Suit yourself." With an offhanded wave, she left.

She let her head fall on the table.

She messed that one up...

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><p>Sumiko: Soteriophobia is the fear of being dependent on someone.<p>

Gah... This one is over way over 2,000 words... Almost 3,000, I think... but most of you seem to like longer chapters, so I guess it's okay... I split it into two chapters, but darn it, it just doesn't look right like that...

I know, It didn't even have any Canon characters... This was more of a get-to-know-the-main-OC chapter that everyone (myself included) hates. Blech. Maybe I should have just put the chapters together...

Please remember that I will respond to ALL reviews. If your review was anonymous, I will reply to it on the next chapter's author's note. Okay? Okay.

You know, every once in a while, I like to read REALLY bad fanfiction. Like, ones that are EVER WORSE than mine (Yes, it's possible... Have you read My Immortal? Dude, whether you read Harry Potter or not, just... read it)... and it makes me feel good about myself, as mean as it is.

Last Chapter's Question: What do you think of Mephisto? Good? Evil? Somewhere in between? Awesome? Irritating?

I find him in the middle, but I'm starting to like him more and more. He does what he wants and somehow makes EVERYTHING go the way he wants it to, even if he didn't plan for a certain thing to happen at all. He's crazy, and lives for amusement, but it's not to the point where he tolerates death/murder.

Chapter 3 Question: What do you think of Satan? What kind of demon do you think he really is?

I'm planning another story, just to let you know - a ShimaxOC. I don't have a title for it yet, but I'll inform you all when I post it... See my profile for more details...? Please?

Next Update: October 16, 2011.

~Sumi


	4. Chapter 4 : Ailurophobia

Sumiko: Hello, my wonderful, lovely readers. How are you today? I'm so sorry I am terribly late. Junior year is killing me, and I'll have to lengthen the time between updates to about a month. I know that this isn't even worth the wait, and I apologize for that. Plus, writer's block is also toying with me. Has been for the past three months.

Anonymous Reviews:

You know who this is : Yes, I know who you are. And I tell you those things to help you pass. Am I supposed to be offended?

Random Fangirl : Oh, thank you so much! Don't worry, I'll definitely finish this story one way or another. I agree that a lot of OCs are really terribly written (though I must disagree and say Midori is one of them), and I am so happy that you find this one acceptable!~

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><p>Phobophobia<p>

Chapter 4 : Ailurophobia

That afternoon, while Kimiko was with the delinquents, Midori decided she would take a walk around campus.

It was a very nice day, with only a few clouds floating idly across the sky, and the sun wasn't a blazing, which was nice, since she couldn't stand extreme temperatures.

As long as she didn't get lost, it was an enjoyable hobby - walking around aimlessly. There was always something new to discover, whether she was here, at True Cross, or around her neighborhood.

After about ten minutes, as she was crossing one of the academy's long bridges (it was a good thing she had - mostly - gotten over her fear of heights... or at least, the school's heights), she ran into two girls from her year.

"Hi, um... Okuna-san, right?" One of the girls greeted. The other elbowed her.

"Nanami-chan, it's _Okura_, and she doesn't talk to anyone, remember?" Well, that was most definitely not true. But Midori was most definitely not going to tell her she had heard her.

"Eh? Really? But... I saw her talking to that one guy yesterday... What was his name...?" She tapped her chin with a finger.

_"It doesn't even matter if it's this guy or one of those stupid, giggling, spoiled fan girls that can't tell left from right...you _need_ to make new friends. Please."_

"Um... Good afternoon, Yamasaki-san, Hisakawa-san!" she squeaked a little too loudly, and bowed (much too) formally. The first girl gave her friend an_ I-told-you-so_ look, and the other simply looked surprised.

"Ah... Good afternoon, Okura-san..." she finally said, her expression wondering whether she had the same anti-social girl.

"Well, see you around, Okura-chan!" Yamasaki chirped cheerfully as they passed her, not noticing her friend's confusion.

"See you... around..." She smiled hesitantly.

She stood there for just a moment, wearing that small, content smile.

It was such a beautiful day...

* * *

><p>Or at least, it had been.<p>

"St-Stay, please... Don't come any closer, okay? Stay," she ordered, but her voice was trembling.

It was scary. So, so scary, with fur black as night, and sharp green eyes that were focused solely on her.

"_Please_, don't touch me," Midori pleaded, backing away from the creature, who continued to stalk closer to her.

If she was the type to scream, she would have.

"Oh, please stay away from me- Wah!"

She tripped over a rock. Of course. Because these sort of things simply had to happen to her. The thing was practically looming over her now.

That... _cat_.

Quickly, Midori covered her face with her arms so that the beast couldn't disfigure her face with its long, deadly claws...

And it licked her hand.

She _almost_ jumped when she felt the sandpaper-like texture. But she didn't. Peering through her fingers, she could see the animal's confused, but delighted eyes shining despite the lack of sunlight. With a shaky laugh, Midori (very, very cautiously) sat up, and slowly, slowly, reached out to pat his head.

She was honestly surprised that it hadn't tried to eat her.

"...What's a little kitty like you doing here anyways?"

They were within a ten minute's walking distance of the closest building, which was the old boy's dormitory, a place that Midori didn't like for the haunted feeling it radiated.

And could you blame her? The thing was _old_ - the paint was peeling in certain places, and it almost looked like the building was slowly turning a greenish-black color... How could anyone (living or not, human or animal) live in a place like that?

The cat pointedly looked at the very same building, and let out a small 'nya'. Of _course_.

"There? You really live _there_?" Midori frowned, but the cat nodded as though there was nothing creepy or scary about living _there_. "Kind of a scary place, don't you think?" He stared at her for a moment, head tilted, before shaking his head. "Really?" Another nod. The girl's features softened, but her shoulders were still tense. "You're a smart cat, aren't you?"

"Nya!" He straightened proudly.

"You know, I never liked cats. I wonder why that is..." Midori said thoughtfully. The four-legged animal seemed offended. "But you're adorable," she added, and the cat nodded matter-of-factly. "I would take you back to my dorm, but pets aren't allowed. I'm sorry." He stared at her for a little while, before shaking his head.

"Nya..." Smiling, Midori scratched the back of his ear. He purred contentedly.

A moment later, his ears perked, and he took off, in the general direction of the dormitories.

"Ah..." Midori stayed where she was, watching the cat run until it made a turn, leaving her sight. An oddly familiar voice soon followed.

"Hey! There you are, Kuro! I've been looking all over for you! Why'd you just-" A faint nya-ing cut him off. "What? You must've been hearing things - Were you eating raw squid again, or something? Why would anyone-" Another interruption, and Midori could make out a hissing sound, then a loud "Get off of me! Stop that! Down!" Then more hissing.

Maybe she should just walk away...?

"Fine, okay! Calm down, I'll go..." There was some grumbling she was unable to make out.

Yeah, she really should-

Okumura Rin came into view, with a few scratches on both his cheeks, the black cat sitting on his shoulder with his head held high, looking very proud of himself. Spotting Midori, Rin blinked, slowing for a second, before breaking out into a grin.

"Hey - ah, Midori, right?" She nodded. "Uh, I was wondering if-" Yet another interruption by the cat, who jumped out of his arms, and ran toward Midori, who stepped back out of instinct. Not to be refused, the cat ignored her momentary fear, and rubbed his body against her leg affectionately.

"Nya! Nya, nya, nya... Nya, nya! Nya?"

He was trying to tell her something, she knew , but...

Well, this was the first time she had ever been this close to a cat (or any animal, really), and she didn't exactly understand the language.

Apparently, Rin did.

"He wants you to stay over for dinner," Rin translated. His tone displayed no hesitancy whatsoever about what the cat was saying. Midori wondered if it was normal for a person to be able to speak to animals...

"Um... I'm sorry?" Her brain was having difficult processing the bit of information. "For dinner?" Rin nodded, pointing back to the boy's dormitory by way of response.

Technically, it was still early, and she could probably make curfew if she hurried...

"But, isn't that place haunted?"

...She just had to ask.

Rin gave her a funny look.

"Not... really. I've never seen any ghosts, if that's what you're asking." He seemed to have honestly considered her question.

Of course, now, she had another one.

Wait, so he's been in there before? He couldn't possibly... live there, could he? The cat was jumping excitedly around her, unaware of the conversation going on.

Well, if another person had gone in there and survived... Then again, Rin was just like Kimiko, and so probably wasn't afraid of anything... Though, she still wanted to befriend him, even if Kimiko had taken back what she said... And it would help her get over her fears, right?

"...Um... O...kay..."

Her classmate gave her another weird look.

"If you don't want to, it's fine..." The cat didn't seem so happy anymore, and narrowed it's eyes at Rin, hissing again. Midori quickly waved her hands at him, shaking her head.

"No, it's all right with me... As long as I'm not bothering anyone..."

And that, was how she had been invited for dinner with Okumura Rin.

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><p>Sumiko: Ailurophobia is the fear of cats.<p>

Because I split it up, this one is only 1,300 words... I'm sorry.

I also apologize for the wait. I have MAJOR writer's block for the next chapter, but **animabi** really helped me out with her review.

Last Chapter's Question: What do you think of Satan? What kind of demon do you think he really is?

My opinion hadn't changed about him much at all. I mean, despite what he did for Yuri, he doesn't care at all for their children, it seems, and he *********** Yukio to *************. But yes, I do acknowledge that he cared for Yuri. I also acknowledge that I don't understand why, exactly, Satan felt lonely when he already had, like, eight other children, and his own world that he _ruled_. Hmm... Maybe because he wasn't used to such kindness?

With that said, I don't approve of the Order, either. I mean, they _try_ to do the right thing, and I understand their intentions... kind of...

But that's just me. It's perfectly fine if you have a different opinion, and I swear I won't hate you for it.

Chapter 4 Question: Who is your _least_ favorite character(s)? Why?

Next Update: January 23, 2011

Merry Christmas and Happy New Years!

~Sumi


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